Internet regulators voted Monday to allow virtually unlimited domain suffixes — based on things as varied as brand names, entertainment, and political causes — starting next year for anyone willing to petition and pay for the feature.

In one of its biggest shake-ups ever, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers decided at a meeting in Singapore to allow words in any language as website suffixes, according to an ICANN press release.

There are currently 22 generic top-level domains (gTLDs), from standard endings like “.com” or “.net” to the more specialized “.gov” or “.edu”. There are also 290 country suffixes, like “.uk” for the United Kingdom.

Experts predict there will be 500 to 1,000 petitions for new domain suffixes, with high-profile companies expected to be among the first to apply.

But the new domain endings won’t be available to just anyone. ICANN said there will be a $185,000 application fee, as well as enough rules to fill a 360-page booklet associated with the process. The organization is hoping those conditions will help deter scammers from registering fraudulent website names.

For information about how to protect yourself on the Internet, check out Consumer Reports’ Online Security Guide.